The Hardest Thing
by bashfulglowfly
Summary: A Hunter-nin returns home after executing his lover's student.


**The Hardest Thing**

 **By Bashfulglowfly**

Panther crouched down in the shadows provided by the air conditioner on the roof. He carefully expanded his chakra to make sure that there was no one nearby that would see him.

Then he _moved._

He was at the window, deactivated the seals, opened said window, was inside the room, closing the window and reactivating the seals in less than 10 seconds.

Panther stood still for a moment and took a deep breath. Ignoring the person sitting on the bed reading.

Panther unrolled a storage scroll then removed the black mask from his face; placing the mask on the scroll. The mask was soon joined by body armor and an array of weapons. Panther performed the necessary hand symbols and the equipment disappeared. The scroll was carefully rolled up, tied closed and placed on a shelf with several other identical scrolls that helped to hide the one with the greatest secret.

The man on the bed watched as Panther began to strip off the travel stained hunter-nin uniform. The red bandages went into the hamper and were quickly followed by the all black uniform.

Panther continued to ignore the man on the bed but he could feel the other man's lust. He strode into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him and turned on the shower. He didn't look in the mirror as he waited for the water to warm.

He checked the temperature then entered pulling the curtain closed. The overly hot water poured down on him.

He stood still and allowed the water to wash away the dirt, grime, blood and what he had had to do down the drain.

More or less.

He wouldn't forget the missing nin that he had hunted down. He never did. But this one was…difficult.

Panther reached for the soap and began to scrub himself down. Then he shampooed his hair until there was only…

…Iruka.

Iruka let the water rinse him clean then shut the water off and pulled back the curtain. He wasn't surprised to see Kakashi standing there holding open a towel.

This was their ritual. If Kakashi was home when Panther returned from hunting.

The two men were silent as Iruka first towel dried his hair then his body. Iruka wiped the steam away from the mirror and stared at himself for a moment.

"Are you hungry?"

"No. Maybe in the morning."

"Hmm." Kakashi opened the bathroom door and walked into the bedroom with Iruka close behind.

The two men climbed into bed without speaking. Iruka wrapped his arms around Kakashi and laid his head on the other man's chest. Iruka breathed deeply as Kakashi ran his hands through his hair and down his back.

"I was given permission to tell you who I hunted."

Kakashi's eyebrow shot up. While he still retained his ANBU clearance level, this was very unusual. It was beyond rare that hunter-nin ever spoke about their prey. Most of the time people found out what happened to a missing nin when his or her page in the Bingo Book became stamped with 'Captured' or 'Killed.' "Why is that?"

"Because the Hokage will announce it tomorrow morning and you, for certain, and me maybe, will have to deal with…some of the emotional fallout."

Kakashi's blood ran cold. "Who." He had a good idea but he had to ask.

"Sasuke."

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed. He was not surprised that Sasuke was finally hunted but he wished that it hadn't been Iruka that had been sent after Sasuke. But with the things Sasuke had learned and done since he fled the village, the best of the hunter-nin was required.

And Iruka was the very best that the village had. And the best kept secret of the hunter-nin corps. After all, who would ever suspect a chuunin Academy sensei to be the greatest hunter-nin Konoha had seen in years.

"Shit." The tone was mild but Iruka could read the nuances behind it.

"Yeah."

"You had no choice."

"I…know. But I still see that little boy that he was on his first day of school. Holding onto his mother with one hand and his brother with the other."

"I never knew that little boy. I am sorry for your loss, Iruka."

"And I'm sorry for the loss of your student, Kakashi."

Iruka could feel Kakashi shake his head. "No, Sasuke was lost before he even became my student. And I couldn't find him. Not that I really tried."

"You tried. He didn't want to be found."

"Another regret."

"I'm not going to let it pull you down."

Kakashi tilted Iruka's face to his and they gently kissed. "As long as you promise to do the same."

"I will."

The two men held each other close as they drifted off to sleep. Both needing their sleep to be able to comfort and console their living students in the morning.


End file.
